Phoenix Legacy
by wen.but for love
Summary: The Gekkaja had further effects... [disclaimers in profile]
1. Chapter 1

Phoenix Legacy

Prologue

10th June 2005

Ranma sat on the roof of the Tendo Dojo, unable to sleep. He'd been unbalanced since a week after returning from Mount Phoenix, his ki troubling him more and more. At first it was just slight twinges in his ki that wouldn't let him sleep, or made him feel drowsy all of a sudden, but he hadn't been able to sleep for several days now, and his ki seemed to be changing in more drastic ways.

Just a day ago he'd had a run in with Ryoga, and won. But that wasn't what troubled him, it was more that his normal ki enhanced speed seemed even greater, almost as if he were flying. He'd wondered about it after making sure Ryoga was alright, and spoken to Cologne about it. Unfortunately, she'd had no idea what was happening to him, but agreed when he asked for a duel to test himself.

Both going full out, Ranma fought her to a standstill for a long time before succumbing to exhaustion himself. The Amazon matriarch had been as amazed as the onlookers, Mousse especially, but none had any ideas as to the change, except for the obvious point that his ki reserves were growing at an exponentially alarming rate.

Barely 10 minutes after the fight, Ranma's ki reserves were already working double overtime to replenish themselves, and Shampoo had tried to glomp him over something like "husband so strong" or so. Akane had tried to mallet him while her father went demon head, but Ranma formed a ki shield that blocked everything. Cologne had been very impressed and congratulated him on the advancement, but still he didn't know what was happening.

Sighing again, Ranma wondered when he'd turned this introspective, or when his tastes had changed…

Flashback…

"Ranma-kun, you should cut your hair, it's getting long." Kasumi smiled at him while cooking. Nodoka entered after that and agreed, "yes dear, you should cut your hair, even though it makes you look so manly." She'd become more lax about the "manly" thing since he'd defeated Saffron and saved Akane.

Ranma disagreed, "I don't know guys, I like it. Perhaps I should ask Herb where he got that thing for his hair, it was real cool." Both ladies face faulted just as Ranma turned and exited the kitchen after saying that.

Flashback end…

Ranma sighed, there was probably just one thing left to do, though he hated it. He was not tired, and there wasn't anything else to do. He closed his eyes, willing his consciousness away so he could get to his sub-conscious and find out what was wrong with him.


	2. Chapter 2

Phoenix Legacy

Chapter 1

10th June 2005

"RANMA!" the silence of the morning was broken by a battle cry, issued by guess who? "NO BAKA!" mallet cry was again issued by guess who? Unfortunately, this time wasn't like any of those times before Jusenkyo, and Ranma's ki shield was again up. Akane's mallet rebounded off the shield and struck her right between the eyes, knocking her out cold.

Ranma opened his eyes, he was just about done with his meditation any way, and walked into the house calmly, "Kasumi-chan, why was Akane trying to mallet me again? Hasn't she learnt it is of no use against me any more?" Kasumi smiled sweetly at him, "she was sure you were out with Shampoo and Ukyo again, did you have fun?" Ranma's eye twitched, but answered any way, "no, I was not with them last night. I was meditating, and yes I enjoyed myself, finding out exactly what's wrong with me. Will breakfast be ready soon?" Kasumi gave him an affirmative, and went back to her cooking.

Ranma wandered up to the roof to analyze his findings. Apparently, the Gekkaja was a weapon originally used by the dragon people, of whom Herb was a very distant relative. When Ranma had frozen himself against Saffron, he'd become the first in a long time to learn the dragons' power. It was already affecting him, changing him, increasing his ki, among other things. Apparently, the phoenix had captured the Gekkaja when the dragon dynasty had declined significantly, and using now lost technology and skill had created the Kinjakan as its match.

In freezing himself, Ranma had also gained memories and knowledge of the now dead dragons, such as their weapons stashes, and scrolls. Ranma planned to find these, and perhaps share some of them with his friends, like Ryoga, for example. Ranma was broken out of his misery by a piece of paper floating by, caught instantly by reflex. Ranma curiously read it, the hand writing that could only have been by one person.

Nabiki lay on her back in her room, contemplating her life. Loosing her mother, enclosing herself in metaphorical ice to protect herself, doing everything she could to keep the dojo afloat and growing upset by her father's continued indifference to what happened around him but knowing it was actually aiding her freedom, meeting Ranma and the immediate fear of his curse, so many things.

Not for the first time, she wondered what would have been if she hadn't unloaded Ranma back on Akane after she let her fears get the better of her. It had been so nice that time he'd held her in his arms, the feeling that nothing could touch her, that as long as she was with him the world would be fine. She sighed, this wouldn't do, she was probably the only one in the house, but she'd noticed the changes in him, his gradual height increase from 5-8 to 6-5, his broadened frame that now matched Ryoga's without a loss in speed, his eyes becoming blue with yellow and gold flecks from their usual blue…

Another frustrated sigh escaped her and she got up to write in her diary, not trusting herself to keep everything bottled up inside, exampled with what happened at the failed wedding.

Just as she finished her entry, pouted her heart out into the words describing to herself what she so liked and wanted about a certain martial artist, a rush of air through the open window took it, out into the wide world right before Nabiki's eyes, right to the apple of her eye, sitting up on the roof above her room. Sighing, knowing there was nothing she could do about it, Nabiki lay down again, hoping it wouldn't land in the hands of the person it just had.

Ranma guiltily read the entry, comforted by the knowledge that he didn't have another fiancée on his hands. Unfortunately, it was obvious there were unresolved feelings involved, but that they could be resolved, whichever way it went. Thinking a bit, Ranma decided he could take her with him when he went to find the hidden scrolls and weapons, especially the jewels. But for now, he had a meeting with Cologne that he had to attend.

Cologne thought while she cooked, lunch was just about to finish, and Ranma would stop by soon, to talk. She was sure she had a good idea just what he wanted to talk about, and was also fairly sure what she wanted out of him. She still stuck by her goal of making Ranma part of the tribe, though it looked like she'd have to do it another way. A ring from the door brought her back to the present, and she threw the ramen to Shampoo before pogo hopping over to Ranma.

Sizing him up, she realized his ki had grown again, perhaps more powerful than even in her youth, "Ranma. Good to see you, hungry?" Ranma gave her a short affirmative and stood near the pot while she cooked, "I'm sure you know what I'm here to talk about: my changes. I was doing some meditation last night, and I've realized what's happened. The short story is that the Gekkaja is a dragon weapon from the now dead dragon dynasty. When I pierced myself for protection against Saffron, I also absorbed the knowledge, experience, and memories of past dragons."

The Ramen done, they sat in a booth to continue between mouthfuls, "from there I've now knowledge of weapons and scrolls caches, among other bits of knowledge, including the Amazons and Jusenkyo. My point right now, is that yount me in your tibe and I've no problems with the basic idea. However, I will not be married into the tribe, that belittles my new heritage, and I could easily defeat all of you given a few weeks to catch up on my remaining growth to Dragons' 18 year old selves.

"However, as an added incentive for you to find another way, I'll also tell you that I'm now noble blood, where Herb is just above peasant blood. This means that my 20 year old body would be equal to, say, Herb's 50 year old power. And you know just how powerful he is." Ranma stopped here to allow Cologne time to digest and consider what he'd told her. Her thoughtful look turned to awe as she finally understood just how powerful Ranma was going to be.

Seeing her look of comprehension, Ranma knew he had her exactly where he wanted her, "I see you're rather sharp, spotted the solution haven't you? Just to make sure you know what you're dealing with here, I've also corrected the ki errors with my Neko-ken, and at the same time found residual ki that explains the differences between myself and my father, myself and my mother, among others. I'm sure your vast knowledge will explain it to you, so I won't bother.

"My last point, I'm sure you realize that I will be going to find the scrolls and weapons, I will either go _alone_ or brig someone with me. If you behave yourselves, I'll let you have some of them." Conversation from there turned to small talk, and Ranma left soon after ducking Shampoo's glomps. And Cologne decided she needed time to think things through before speaking to her two charges.

Dinner that night was rowdy. Genma and Soun had come up with the idea that since Ranma went to the cat café, Shampoo wouldn't be marrying him, meaning he could marry Akane because he did it for her. Ranma remained indifferent to them, talking instead to Kasumi and Nabiki till his mother showed up and he talked to her too.

Akane, of course, decided that he was being perverted somehow, and tried to mallet him. Ranma's shield would have been fine, but he decided to change, and instead grabbed it out of her hands and knocked her out instead. Kasumi smiled and asked Akane to remember to clean up her drool after she woke up.

When dinner was over, Ranma spoke up, mainly to his mother, "Mother, I have changed my mind. I will not be marrying Akane, things have changed. I have various errands to carry out over my true heritage, and cannot do so while engaged to her. I will leave tomorrow, probably in the afternoon. Do I have your blessing?" Nodoka smiled at him, ignoring the two fathers, and answered gently, "yes, you do, as long as you swear to return for me when you're done. Choose her carefully son."

The fathers were livid, and decided Ranma needed physical reasoning to help him think things through. Ranma had other ideas, and nonchalantly took them out with a ki blast. Soun tried to argue again, but that tends to be somewhat troublesome when one's stuck in a wall. Ranma returned to his food, waiting for something, some_one_ actually, to show up.

And show up she did, Cologne shortly came in, dropping a pair of cages outside the door before hopping in. She dropped from her staff and sat opposite Ranma and his mother, "Ranma, I've considered your words carefully." Ranma smirked at this, the solution had probably rolled right into her mind within 5 minutes of digesting his little speech properly, "and I've decided that the solution is one you're familiar with already. Unfortunately, by tribe rules…" Ranma interrupted here, "I'll have to either defeat you or equal you in combat in front of another 2 elders.

"And I've already decided which elders. Thread and Pin are among the most open minded of the elders and are the least likely to dispute my win. Bead is a possibility, but has delusions of grandeur that will cloud her judgment. Linen will not be available till end of the month, what with her newest great grand daughter. Soap is too young and does not have the respect Pin has. Bolt is also slightly egoistic, but if you prefer her to observe then its fine by me."

Nodoka was trying to piece together what the two were talking about without much success. One thing was clear though, her son was _MAJOR MANLY_ thank goodness, and that made her grin maniacally. Nabiki on the other hand, had a fair idea what was going on, it seems Ranma is going to win some large chunk of respect that hasn't been seen before. I wonder what the price will be? . Kasumi was her usual oblivious self, and decided she didn't need to know what was going on, and gently excused herself, "I would like to visit the doctor, if I'm needed please call Dr. Tofu's home please."

Ranma and Cologne nodded absently, and went back to discussions, "Feather is also alright, and happens to be in Japan already. In fact if I remember right, she's in Tokyo on business." Cologne took over, "the earliest it can be organized in any case, is next Saturday." Ranma nodded, and responded, "True, and the first area I plan to explore is one of the more important ones. How about we have a tribunal instead of a dualist committee, with Pin, Feather, and either Thread or Note?"

Cologne agreed, and moved on, "the date then, you'll probably want quite some time, so how about the following Wednesday? Since it's the least busy day of our week and school will be at its busiest." Ranma agreed too, and was about to thank her for her time when Cologne asked about his partner. This interested Nabiki as she hadn't heard anything about it other than his needing someone along with him for this treasure hunt or whatever it was.

Ranma spoke almost immediately, "The criteria are non-existent basically, though the onus is on me to choose someone that will be with me in everything I do, good or bad. Especially since she'd share everything with me, life, assets, everything. So if you've heard anything about rules then you're probably mistaken." He turned, facing Nabiki and her breath caught, "Nabiki Tendo, will you journey with me, to uncover the past of my heritage, my civilization, my future?"


End file.
